Japanese loo experience

So I had my first blessful experience on a Japanese toilet at the airport on arrival, super clean (my expectations were low after India..), warmed seat, yes warmed seat to place your cold botty!

Warm seat great but that wasn't the best bit. I then noticed the remote control panel on the side. Brilliant! Inquisitively I pressed one and a toilet flush sound effect echoed the cubicle, I guess it could hide any embarassing noises..hehe.

Two more buttons indicated whether I fancied a front bottom wash and back bottom wash. Ooh choices choices! followed by lovely soft loo roll. Impressed was an understatement. I've never enjoyed being sat on the loo so much! Why the hell can't we have loos like that in the UK?

Well that's until I discovered that not EVERY loo experience is as blissful and high tech as I thought. My first day at the Edikyo centre (education centre where I spend every Monday preparing lessons) burst my bubble. I walked in with Etsuko. Lucky really as Im not sure I would have changed into the plstic toilet shoes otherwise. Yes, you have to swap your shoes (in this case my indoor shoes so already swapped once) with these teeny weeny narrow toilet shoes provided that make you feel like an utter chubby chubster.

The loo, as you can see, is set into the ground. Instead of sitting you squat. I guess it's more hygenic (no seat touching) but oh so unglam! You face the plumbing as you do the biz. The thing which I found, and still find awful is the unavoidable splashes of wee wee on your trousers/socks! Ok so not totally hygenic...

When the biz is done just remember NOT to walk out with your toilet shoes on. I nearly did and would have never lived it down with the kids at school.